this morning on "world news now," february freeze. blizzard-like conditions bombard parts of the northeast days after a record snowfall. >> the nasty conditions followed by arctic cold hitting big parts of the country this morning. it's monday, february 18. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. it's going to be a blustery week in parts of the country, and we'll get the latest from accuweather. also, assessing the damage from friday's meteor strike in russia. the immense impact and who is trying to profit from it.

>> good old ebay. >> interesting. if you're not already revved up, wait until you hear how danica patrick made history yet again with nascar. and we're getting a rare look into pixarstudios. how the movie "brave" came to live. >> and you introduced me to something new tonight. >> i brought enough for the whole class. chicken in a biskit. you know out there that you've had some of these and they are incredible. you had some and you liked them. >> they're very good. >> you don't need a dip. >> it's a little salty, though. ten of them, you're asking for a stroke. >> what's the serving size? seven. >> seven is enough salt for the week. don't eat too many. this is what we do before we go on the show.

never heard of them. >> you're welcome, world. >> i'm hooked now. love it. we begin this half hour with the blizzard-like conditions and the freezing weather from maine down to florida. it's everywhere. >> and some areas in the northeast hit by that historic blizzard just days ago, two weeks ago in fact, they are getting hit again. with wind gusts out of the north, gusting up to 50 or 60 miles an hour, some northeast states buried by historic snowfall are getting another arctic blast. maine is getting the worst of it. >> blowing snow and a whiteout condition can make visibility zero. >> maine is expecting 8 inches of snow on the coast. on cape cod in massachusetts, cars are still buried from the last storm, with gusty winds and high surf, there are more worries now about coastal damage. on new york's long island, plows and salt trucks tried to keep up with rapidly changing conditions. connecticut towns waiting for federal disaster relief money

from the last storm are seeing snow removal cost add up. >> i don't think anybody knows. anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 a day. >> the weather put florida's farmers into disaster mode as subfreezing temperatures threaten crops yet again. the northeast is not alone. miserable conditions hit the great lakes. heavy lake-effect snow fell on northeast ohio. >> i was up during the middle of the night and it looked like a blizzard outside. >> and heavy snow and winds are causing problems from the rockies to the dakotas. as another nasty dose of weather hits the nation with spring more than a month away. please, spring, hurry up. i'm officially today over winter. i'm done. >> but you know what? >> wake me up in april. >> what's interesting, you're in new york, you've barely gotten a winter.

it's just been cold. >> and we have it better here than in the folks in connecticut. >> apparently starting this week, two federal agencies are going to start the process of collecting information from these cities and towns to tally up their storm cost. connecticut did ask for declared a federal disaster area and the president approved it, but now some communities are saying they need more money. >> i can imagine the cleanup bill after 40 inches of snow is pretty steep. >> some people are still digging out. with that, let's check in with accuweather as the storm chills the northeast and another form threatens the middle of the country. >> meteorologist jim dicky has the very latest. good morning, jim. >> good morning. a cold morning on tap here across the northeast. many spots, teens and single digits. these are what you can expect this morning. 9 in syracuse. 12 in buffalo and pittsburgh. and pleasy as well when you

factor in the winds. attention shifts to the midsection. severe weather late in eastern texas on into portions of mississippi here, southern arkansas. storms down strong with large hail and winds. this threatens blizzard conditions once again. rob and diana, back to you. in florida, gusty winds are being blamed for fanning the flames of a destructive fire. the first home was engulfed by the time the island's only three firefighters arrived. other firefighters had to come in by boat, the only way onto the island. it took them five hours to put out this massive fire. a follow up on last friday's meteor that struck central russia. shockwaves were felt by nuclear monitoring nations halfway around the word. more than half the glass shattered by the meteor's power has already been replaced.

>> reporter: the meteor exploded in mid-air. the force of 30 hiroshima bombs, scattering glass across the region. and also scattering valuable fragments worth big money for anyone who finds them. scientists confirmed the first fragments found near this hole. they are worth $100 to $100,000 depending on size. already meteor pieces are showing up on ebay. this is going for $490. this one for just under $1,000. notice how they don't look anything like. this man found a tiny rock. he says he found it on that frozen lake. the hole has become a tourist attraction. some more conspiracy minded folks suggested this is an american rocket attack or alien

space invasion, but others have found a more divine interpretation. the faithful gather at this church by the lake. some seeking to attribute spiritual meaning to the cosmic event. he says there are still more people visiting the hole than the church, but he says god saved this village. democrats and republicans are warning president obama not to go at it alone when it comes to immigration reform. that warning on immigration was leaked over the weekend. a spokesman says the proposal is meant only as a backup in case lawmakers cannot reach an agreement. it's very important at this point to say that the white house is also denying that they leaked this on purpose. >> they're saying look, this is our plan b in case you don't get your act together. everybody is working on this thing. you have the gang of eight in the senate bipartisan group. you have not group in the house of representatives doing its thing. also the u.s. chamber of

commerce is helping to craft a plan. so everything is crafting a plan. so hopefully maybe all those things can come together into one cohesive, effective plan. but we don't know yet. >> it's not a bad idea to have a plan b. administration after administration has tried to do this and come up with a plan that will work and they have failed almost across the board. so who knows what we're going to get? >> again, it's not just carte blanche, security and background checks, go to the back of the line behind folks who are here legally. >> and you've got to learn to speak english. >> exactly. >> not a bad idea. >> miles to go, as always. speaking of politics, more political maneuvering over the nomination of chuck hagel as defense secretary.

the nomination should go forward. the very earliest the nomination could go before the senate is a week from today when they return from their president's day vacation. fuel prices have hit a record high for february and it may be months before drivers get a break. the average price for a gallon of gas is $3.71. prices have jumped 13% over the past week. the increase in costs are blamed on refinery and supply issues. price also go up even more this spring. >> next week it they'll be at a 400 year low. any way, from the gas we go to the tires, but not in the pra tigsal sense. we're talking about the tires that won a runner war yesterday in austin, texas. >> he's 23-year-old michael ball of tulsa, oklahoma. after demonstrating how he was going to do it, he completed a

26. 2 mile course. >> his fishl time, 4 hours, 24 minutes 13 seconds. he said he wanted to push his mind and body to the absolute limits. so let's hope he did that, as well. so he averaged 10 minutes and 5 seconds per mile. that is not a bad rate at all. >> are you a marathoner? do you run? >> i get winded walking from here to the bathroom. >> i watched a marathon once. does that count? >> 26. 2 miles. i can't imagine. we have a few marathon runners on the staff here. i don't know how they do it. >> 10 minutes per mile is pretty good for the average joe. >> without the tires. >> then you add the tires. that's not bad. >> coming up next, we're celebrating president's day with a presidential quiz. >> but first, the role lebron james cherishes most off of the basketball court. stay tune for our exclusive interview with the nba star. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] switch to swiffer wetjet,

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serious sore throat medicine, seriously great taste. plus the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! mmm ! cepacol sensations. ♪ all you want to do is ride around ♪ ♪ everybody knows that song. go ahead, sally. oh, me. racecar driver danica patrick -- song got me worked up.

she made history again. she became the first woman to win the poll position at the daytona 500. that means she'll lead the field for next sunday's race. she blocked 196 miles per hour, beating out 37 other drivers, including jeff gordon. after the race, she said she was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl. >> it's also nice to hear families talk about the fact that a little girl might say, but mommy or daddy, that's a girl out there. and then they can have the conversation with their kid about the fact that you can do anything you want and being different does not by any means not allow you to follow your dreams. >> all right. well said. patrick, who is 30 years old now, began racing indy cars back in '05. the annual dunking display that is the nba all-star game took place in houston last

night. the western conference dominated the first half of the game, but the east came back to pull within one point several times. in the end, the west beat the east by a score of 143-138. kevin durant scored 30 points for the west and carmelo anthony led the east with 26 points. whoa! >> always an epic defensive battle there at the all-star game. i miss my days playing professional ball. >> speaking of professional ball, one of basketball's perennial similars is lebron james, which has nothing on this guy. >> yeah. but king james is more than just a talent on the court. the 28-year-old three-time mvp is also a leader off the hardwood. abc's john schifrin has more. >> reporter: he's one of the most recognizable athletes on earth. known on the court as king james. >> back to lebron! oh, my. >> reporter: but he's holding

court, opening up to us in a rare sitdown interview. what is something most people don't know about you in your private life? >> i watch cartoons even when my kids are at school. >> what is your favorite? >> reporter: >> right now, sponge bob square pants. >> reporter: he tells us she cherishes his role as a family man. if you weren't in the room with your two young boys, what would they say about you? >> they would say they love their daddy and when is he going to get us another xbox game? >> reporter: james is also spending his downtown change the lives of other kids, teaming up with sprite to renovate this boys and girls gym. >> just having an opportunity to inspire kids. >> reporter: and if his big heart isn't enough, this small forward is also fashion forward.

very stylish. we pull these out. what do you think of these? does this work on me? >> absolutely. they look damn good on you. >> reporter: john schifrin, abc news, houston. >> king james, the one and only. let's take our talents to the commercial break, shall we? >> nice. next up, our president's day quiz. stay with us.

♪ i'm doing to drink on sunday, i don't have to work on monday ♪ ♪ great big celebration, destination intoxication ♪ >> that's america.

>> today is president's day and if you are lucky, you have the day off. >> uh-huh. yes, we're not jealous of that at all. this holiday was established in 1885 to mark george washington's birthday. it used to be celebrated on february 22, but in 1971, it was moved to the third monday in february, all in an attempt to create more three-day weekends for us american workers. >> it's also a day to hit the stores for those great sales. so we have a little quiz for you. >> here we go. this is not rehearsed. our first question, who was the first president to be inaugurated in washington, d.c.? >> i know it. >> you do know this? >> adams. >> that correct?

>> of course it is. next question. >> lincoln was the tallest. and the heaviest? chris christie. >> it was taft. >> nicely done. >> and the third question, who was the oldest president elected? >> reagan. >> willis, did willis get it? >> reagan, exactly. we got two out of three. >> we all got reagan. >> so we all got reagan. >> go willis. >> no, that's not going to work. >> willis, you did well.

>> we do hope no matter what you're doing today, enjoy yourself. coming up, making magic. >> we take you inside the pixar animation studios to see how they made the hit new movie "brave." you're watching "world news now." wave to the folks in america, willis. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities

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♪ see, bruce willis still has it, number one, "die hard." >> i don't know if i agree. >> yippy kiya. >> movies have always been a world of make believe and magic. but technology makes films seem even more fantastic. >> the film "brave" by pixar, despite the process, it's movie with familiar themes. here's abc's bob woodruff.

>> reporter: here's what happens when you combine a disney style fairy tale with a healthy dose of pixar movie magic. "brave," the epic tale of a not so fair princess named meredith. armed with a bow and arrow, she's a fiery red added lass whose battle is more with her mother, who is unhappy that unlike other disney princesses, she has no intention of marrying a prince. she's more interested in fighting for her freedom. the director mark andrews knows a thing or two about freedom. his job description includes shooting bows and arrows. he gave us a rare glimpse inside pixar in the place he calls an office. >> when i came on board the film, this is all the stuff i do normally at home and on weekends just to have a good time or

exercise. >> reporter: this is how the film makers actually researched "brave." he wanted his animators to know how it felt to hold the weight of a sword to re-create that reality. this is nothing new for pixar, whose 13 movies have won over hearts and wallets. in 2006, pixar was bought by abc's parent company disney. the studio stamsd as a citadel of creativity. steve jobs designed this atrium to get people out of their offices and mingle. as they have so many times before, pixar has pushed creative boundaries as far as they can. and this is where the fantasy begins for a bunch of grownup kids. bob woodruff in emeryville, california. >> i will say, my god daughter loves the movie. >> you said you got her some

gifts from it too. >> why not? >> spoil the children. it's no "die hard." >> spoil the children. it's no "die hard." >> that's the n y. i'm anderson cooper as a parent, you want to make sure that your child knows how to deal with bullying when thehey see it happening. anchances are, they want to help but they don't really know how. teach them that the bt thing to do is calmly walk away, find a teacher or oter adult, and speak up. and do your part--be that adudt they can talk to and trust will listen. join me to help stop bullying. go to stopbullying.gov to find out more.

this morning on "world news now," tragic death. country singer mindy mccready, who faced a growing list of personal problems, has been found dead. >> this morning, nashville's top stars are expressing condolences after mccready took her own life. it's monday, february 18th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good monday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. news of mccready's death sent shockwaves through nashville. also this morning, history was made at the vatican as pope benedict made one of his last public appearances as the leader of the roman catholic church.

we'll explain what's next as he prepares to resign. >> just ten days from now. >> incredible that it's even happening. and giving vision to people who cannot see. it could be the first fda approved bionic eye and we'll show you how it's making a huge difference in the lives of some. later on this half hour, the kinky techniques described in the book "50 shades of gray." who's teaching the curious the lessons that may be difficult to forget? >> i must ask, have you ever read the book? >> i have not read the book? >> not interested or just haven't gotten around to it? >> well, with a baby, i don't have the time. >> we'll get do that more later in the show. some sad news to start off the week about troubled country music star mindy mccready. place say she took her own life

yesterday at her home in arkansas. her body was found on the front porch. >> she had been on the top of the country charts since the mid '90s until personal problems derailed her career. just last month her boyfriend died under mysterious circumstances. she was 37 years old. she leaves behind two young children. as investigators look into the murder of his girlfriend, olympic runner oscar pistorius is in a south african jail before his bail hearing tomorrow. there are reports about what could be a key piece of evidence in all of this, a bloody cricket bat found at his home after reeva steenkamp's death. it's believed it could have been used in an argument leading up to the fatal shooting. her private funeral is set for tomorrow. in iraq, a reminder of the deadly past, after back-to-back explosions. multiple car bombs went off within minutes yesterday in baghdad. nearly 40 people were killed and

over 100 wounded. the bombings come as sectarian tensions escalate. this was the third time this month attacks claimed more than 20 lives in a single day. meanwhile in libya, fireworks marked the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled moammar gadhafi. earlier, libya's leader called for unity and promised to not allow libya to become what he called an incubator of terrorism and violence. to the vatican now where the pope will be out of the public eye for the entire week for the traditional lenten period of reflection and prayer. when he does reemerge, it will be to say his final goodbyes. abc's david wright reports from rome. >> reporter: at least 50,000 roman catholics came to say goodbye. but the pope kept it business as usual. even though he'll appear in that window just one more time before he makes way for someone else.

>> the crowd was here for benedict today. >> reporter: behind the scenes, the focus also already turned to his successor. a process that's always followed strict rules. perhaps the cardinals won't wait the usual 15 days to start the election. but from so quarters strong objection. only the pope can change pope law. for him to do so now might look like he's meddling. his retirement has already shaken the process up. "saturday night live" parodied that idea. one more change this time around, twitter. nine cardinals do it, but they don't be allowed to once inside the conclave. david wright, abc news, the vatican. >> talk about two -- the

juxtapositions of two different eras. >> talking about centuries ago with the white smoke and modern day twitter. but i have a feeling none of the cardinals would tweet something like that out. >> i think they take the secrecy very seriously. hard to believe they would violate that in any way. >> that's right. and actually there's no exact date set for when the start of a formal discussion of his replacement is going to start. so we could be months away or days away. >> this hasn't happened for at least 600 years. so how long of a gap do they want? no one likes too open a period of leadership. you want to get it done quickly. >> how do we deal with having no pope but having a pope these alive? >> they haven't done that in centuries either. but benedict did say look, i will be hidden entirely. once i retire, good night, god bless.

i am done with it. he will be quiet. moving on to this. more political maneuvering around the nomination of chuck hagel as defense secretary. republican opponents say the vote should go forward unless more damaging material surfaces this week. the earliest that the nomination could go before the senate is a week from today. and there's also plenty of political posturing over the issue of immigration reform. republicans and democrats are predicting president obama would fail if he pushes forward with his own initiative. house republican lawmakers don't like that. >> by giving advantage to those who cut in front of the line for immigrants who came here legally, not dealing with border security adequately, that tells us that he's looking for a partisan advantage. >> i hope that republicans and democrats up there don't get involved in some kind of typical washington back and forth

sideshow here. and rather just roll up their sleeves and get to work. >> the white house says the president would push his only plan only if lawmakers cannot get the job done. the white house has been working for quite a while on an immigration plan. so what happened over the weekend is that was leaked out to the press. "usa today" did a big story say thing is what the president is working on. the president said if congress doesn't do its thing, i will send my own bill. >> this is a plan b, this is not what the president is going to propose on its own even if congress moves forward. it's important people know that -- the president saying -- or the white house saying we did not deliberately leak this information out there. but if congress doesn't come up with a plan that we can use or we want to pass, then we'll go to plan b. and that's smart. >> interesting to part out, senator marco rubio gave the republican rebuttal to the state of the union.

he saw what was leaked and called the plan half baked and seriously flawed. he blasted the president's plan over the weekend. so where this goes from here should be very interesting. >> interesting to see where we go. drivers are paying record high prices for gas for this time of year any way. aaa says the average price for a gallon is $3.71. prices have jumped 13% over the past week. the increase in costs are blamed on refinery problems and supply concerns and analysts predict no relief this spring when demand goes up. attention all your beef lovers, get ready to pay more for your steaks and hamburgers. word is that beef prices are now expected to increase as much as 10% by the summer. demand is blamed for driving those prices up, even as the nation's herd is at the lowest self-in six decades. the bottom line, that summer barbecue is going to cost you. >> oh, man. how many times have you told

your kids turn off the tv? a new medical study gives you a reason to crack down. the journal "pediatrics" shows excessive childhood tv watching could lead to anti-social behavior as an adult. the bottom line for kids, watch no more than two hours of tv a day. preferably your overnight show. and the resume may soon become a thing of the test, because some companies are hiring based on tweets. calling it a 140 character job interview. another employer staid all that mattered was the applicant's online personality. >> that's really interesting. >> i don't know how i feel about that. that's a little bizarre. >> yeah.

i can't really -- you can't articulate anything in 140 characters. i have a hard time just talking about hey, i'm headed into work. online personalities, too? i feel like that's not a true reflection of who you are. >> i don't get it. we just told you about the prices of beef going up. how about bacon. >> bacon makes everything better. and they were going hog wild for it yesterday in milwaukee. get it? hog wild, bacon. ah yes, it's monday. it was the second aual bacon fest held in the garage of the harley davidson museum. 1200 showed up and were treated to all things bacon. >> in addition to celebrate bacon, they were given a bacon scented car air freshener. who could be better than that?

>> there is no better smell on the planet than bacon cooking. >> i completely agree. in my car. you know when you're driving and you're like what is that smell, like momma has been cooking bacon and it gets in your clothes. now that's the smell you have in your car permanently. >> but i love bacon. >> have you had chocolate with bacon in it? >> oh, yes. long live the bacon. coming up, science fiction meets science fact. what may be the world's first fda approved pbionic eye. and lessons in kink you may not forget for those serious about what they read in "50 shades of gray." you're watching "world news now." people with sore throats have something new to say.

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♪ an amazing medical breakthrough to tell you about right now that allows people who have lost their vision to see again. >> it's the first fda approved bionic eye.

>> reporter: once just science fiction -- >> gentlemen, we could rebuild him. we have the technology. >> reporter: is now reality. this doctor spent 25 years working on a medical marvel you have to see to believe. >> i committed myself to developing a new way, a new approach. so those who are blind can have a foreseeable solution. >> reporter: it's the first fda approved eye implant. it's just a video camera attached to eye glasses. wirelessly transmitting images to the brain. the fda says it may allow people to detect light and brown. essentially, the blind can see something again. >> one of the things i can do now is laundry. my husband had to put the colored clothes in a laundry with. the glassesky do that myself. >> reporter: cathy blake is 61.

after a two-hour search, she has a new perspective. >> the glasses really help me be more outdoors with mobility, walking. >> reporter: right now the device is only approved for retinitis pigmentosa. the hope is the device can be used to treat millions who can't see. >> i really think the future for this is going to be big. >> that really is incredible. and it did not come cheap at all, $100 million in public money and $100 million in private money. >> two clinical trials, 20 years of trying this. and this is the kind of story you always hear about some kind of development to help people who don't have an arm or leg, but sight is one of the most precious things that we have. to be able to finally, at least to some degree, recover that,

that has to be incredible for those people. >> props to our tech and medical personnel. that made that woman's life a whole lot better. still ahead, it used to be a dark and shadowy kind of world. >> but the mission in dominance is now coffee talk. a look at real life "50 shades of grey" coming up next.

♪ it is called mommy porn. the steamy trilogy "50 shades of grey" that has topped the best seller list. >> you might be surprised by the people who practice it. abc's lisa ling has more.

>> reporter: this is mistress nina pain. >> all you need to do is remember that your purpose is to serve and please me. >> reporter: she's a professional dominatrix. >> you can go ahead and greet me properly by kissing the tops of my boots. start from the bottom and work your way up. >> reporter: clients pay hundreds an hour to submit to her every whim, to be her submistive. she meets them in a dungeon here in los angeles. >> i think i'm going to restrict you even further. >> reporter: this is just a small part of the world, a world i immersed myself in, brought out of the shadows by the book, "50 shades of grey," bdsm has become main stream. things like spanking.

>> instead of going in with the flat palm like so, i prefer to slightly cup the hand. it's going to sound like i'm hitting him harder than i am. >> reporter: even before "50 shades of grey" made it popular, there were enthusiastic practitioners of bdsm. >> your endorfins are getting released and hormones are getting released and you're experiencing things that are an adrenaline rush. >> reporter: there's so much more going on. it's way more intense and intimate. >> i don't need to have sex to get my clients to that place. >> reporter: talking openly about bdsm is still rare, and even with the "50 shades of grey" phenomena, people who engage in it do mostly in secret. part of life for many americans,

exploring some very different shades. i'm lisa ling in los angeles. >> i'm not sure we know what to do with all that. >> i'm glad we do the show sitting down. can help you get there. (eszopiclone) like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you.

then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! finally, there's cepacol sensations. serious sore throat medicine, seriously great taste. plus the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! mmm ! cepacol sensations. but first you've got to get him to say, "hello." new crest 3d white arctic fresh toothpaste. use it with these 3d white products, and whiten your teeth in just 2 days. new crest 3d white toothpaste. life opens up when you do. >> with hotwire's low prices, i can afford to visit chicago for my first big race and l.a.

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finally, there's cepacol sensations. serious sore throat medicine, seriously great taste. plus the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! mmm ! cepacol sensations. welcome everybody, to "the mix" on this monday morning. we told you a few days ago about maker mark's controversial decision. they were having some issues meeting the demand for their product around the globe. so they said look, we've got to shrink the alcohol content from 45% down to 42%. well, you can imagine the public said do not mess with my alcohol. and they have decided to bow to public pressure. so on sundaying, the chief operating officer said they're restoring it back to 90 proof. they tweeted out, you spoke, we

reasoned and within two hours of posting it on facebook, they had 14,000 likes and 2,200 comments on the facebook page. so your maker's mark is restored to its fully alcoholic glory. >> we need to test it out right here, right now. come on, pull it out of your pocket. >> don't tell anybody. this next story is actually kind of interesting. marco rubio, as we know, gave the republican response to the state of the union. he's the one that took the sip of the water in the middle of it and twitter went crazy. he's capitalizing on this moment and apparently he's starting to sell marco rubio water bottles through his political action committee. and they've sold more than 3,000 of these things already, and at $25 a pop, he's making a lot of

money for his political action committee. and he's a favorite in the republican party. moving on, i love this story. apparently a giant cookie has gone missing from germany. now, the company is called lina's cookie and it is the equivalent of the oreo here in america. two bandits took the cookie and sent a ransom note and said we want you to give 1,000 pounds to an animal hospital and free cookies to a children's hospital and signed it cookie monster. the real cookie monster tweeted, we no steal golden cookie but willing to find thief. and ashley dupre, governor spitzer's call girl, she's been writing columns for "the new york post." now they're putting all of the

columns into a book called "tricks of the trade."

this morning on "world news now," key evidence. what investigators in south africa discovered in oscar pistorius' murder case. >> the bloody bat, where it was found and what relatives are now saying about this very shocking crime. it is monday, february 18th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. we'll take you to south africa for the latest on the olympic athlete in the middle of this murder investigation. really interesting developing information over the weekend. the family is speaking out. a lot of questions. also shocking news in nashville. country music singer mindy

mccready is found dead outside of her home. and the disturbing case of flight rage. a mother accuses a fellow airline passenger of assaulting her child. what's happening in this skies? >> not only what this man physically did to the kid, but also verbally what he said. that story has everybody angry and talking. that cute little kid right there. we'll get to that. and this morning, big questions about rihanna and chris brown, spotted in the same nightclub, but were they together or not? we're going to try to sort it out coming up in "the skinny." everyone was thinking they were all back together and cozy, but maybe not. we'll see. >> always find their way back into the news. for the first time since her daughter was killed by oscar pistorius, we're hearing from the mother of reeva steenkamp. >> in a published interview, she said all her family wants is answers why steenkamp had to die. and she calls her daughter the

most beautiful person who ever lived. >> reporter: an explosive report in a major south african newspaper. the respected "city press" says multiple police sources confirm a bloody cricket bat found in oscar pistorius's home after the shooting of his cover model girlfriend is a key piece of evidence, possibly used in an argument leading up to her fatal shooting. officials refused to comment on the new claims. appearing just as pistorius' family has been coming to his defense. >> i can promise you with the knowledge i've got, he will come up right. >> reporter: the he is quoted as saying he shot reeva steenkamp accidently, mistaking her for an intruder. what do you do if somebody is in the house? he said, do you think it's one of your family? of course you don't. the victim's father also speaking out, offering surprising sympathy for a man he never even met, saying he must

be going through things that we don't know about. there is no hatred in our hearts. and now controversy over the premiere of a reality show she had recently taped. a special tribute. but under fire for being insensitive, criticized for the use of her last words on the series. >> the way that you make your exit is so important. you've either made an impact in a positive or negative way. >> reporter: some have angrily called for the series to be canceled. but steenkamp's family supports the decision to air it, allowing her memory to live on, on national tv. now we turn to the passing of country star mindy mccready. the singer's body was found yesterday at her home in arkansas, an apparent victim of suicide. her career had been derailed by her personal problems. she had battles with drugs and alcohol and had tried to kill

herself in the past. just a few weeks ago in fact, her boyfriend died under mysterious circumstances. and her children were taken away from her. she was just 37 years old. we're learning more about the troubled background of adam lanza. a new investigation by pbs finds that lanza was diagnosed with a sensory disorder, was very shy and liked being touched only by his mother. as for the exposure to guns, friends say lanza's mother nancy loved shooting because it helped her bond with her son. >> extraordinary reporting. this is kind of one of the summary graphs of the story, what emerges in this exploration of a still unfolding story is a portrait of a mother apparently devoted but perhaps misguided, struggling to find a place for her son in society. and a boy exceptionally smart in some areas, profoundly deficient in others, who never found a place in the world. >> it's just so sad because of the outcome of this.

you think when you look at what happened in their life, you think if she had just made a different decision somewhere along the way, this could have been avoided. and everybody points to the guns, and that being the wrong decision that she made. but perhaps it's not the guns. maybe it's the type of help she got for her son and it wasn't adequate enough. >> people have made a point about the last eight shootings in this country, all but one have had severe mental illnesses that did not get checked or treated in enough time to stop the tragedy that they then helped instigate. so it's a sad story all the way around. but check out that article. extraordinary reporting. >> they went deep and found a lot of information that isn't out there. the founder of wikileaks says his run for the senate in australia is a way to prevenlt criminal charges from being filed against him in the u.s. julian assange spoke from london where he was granted asylum in june. his supporters in australia have put his name in the run for the senate.

pope benedict is behind closed doors for traditional lenten prayer. and some reflection. thousands gathered yesterday to say goodbye to the pope. bep he will host his last blessing next sunday followed by a nine general audience on february 27th, the day before he officially steps down. an amazing fact about friday's meteor strike in russia. shockwaves were felt by nuclear sensors halfway around the world. friday's mid-air explosion over central russia had the force of 30 hiroshima nuclear bombs. russian officials say that more than half of the glass that was broken has been replaced. several so-called meteor pieces are already on sale on ebay, but as the saying goes, buyer beware. >> 1 million square feet of glass shattered when that hit. think about that, a million square feet. >> that is incredible. i need to go to my backyard and get some rocks. >> some meteor rocks. >> of course.

just got to clarify, the meteor rocks that showered my backyard. just a week after getting slammed by that monster blizzard, parts of the northeast are digging out from yet another big storm. northern new england got the worst of it with some cities in maine battered by nearly a foot of blowing snow. cape cod was hit by 50-mile-an-hour winds and boston buried under a half otot. several inches fell on new york's long island. a brutal two weeks in this area of the country. and the blizzard-like conditions are lingering this morning, leaving behind some bitter cold air. >> meteorologist jim dicky is tracking the storm. good morning, jim. >> good morning rob and diana. the snowstorm is pulling away from maine but blizzard warnings will stay in effect until 4:00 p.m. in some cases. maybe from the bangor area on eastward here. the snow winding down. as we see blowing and drifting snow and it will still be dangerous out there. low visibilities and certainly cold here. across the northeast this

morning, many spots in the single digits. down to 9 in syracuse. 12 in buffalo. and looking for the threat of severe weather in the lower mississippi valley late in the day. rob and diana, back to you. >> our thanks to jim. and here's the rest of your monday forecast. storms will bring rain to memphis, little rock, new orleans and houston. rain changes over to snow in chicago this evening. blizzard conditions from the dakotas to northern michigan. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> 40s from seattle to portland. 12 in fargo. 30 in the twin cities. upper 60s from dallas to the big easy. all right. because this is one of the unlikeliest reunions we ever thought we would see, this is the reason this is our favorite story of the day. it happened over the weekend in the great city of chicago. >> former heavyweight champ evander holyfield was promoting a new barbecue sauce when mike tyson showed up. back in 1997, they weren't so buddy buddy, though. that's when tyson bit off a

piece of holyfield's ear during a title fight. >> that was an infamous moment in sports history. tyson said it's become a positive because of the love and forgiveness that is involved. iron mike, never a dull moment. i guess he showed up looking for a body parts aisle. and said oh, there's evander holyfield and said let's make amends and they got together. it's good. >> can we just talk about the fact that evander holyfield, heavyweight champion of the world is promoting barbecue sauce at a supermarket? >> some folks don't make their money last. there's no way you should be hocking barbecue sauce. >> these are like the two heavyweight champs of the world. >> one's hocking barbecue sauce. one shows up -- this is delicious. i'm going to put this on some brisket. >> it's sad. it's sad. coming up next, what can be

done to control out of control anger on airlines? and later on, who is complaining about "sports illustrated's" latest swimsuit edition? not this guy. you're watching "world news now." msuit edition? not this guy. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] switch to swiffer sweeper, and you'll dump your old broom. but don't worry, he'll find someone else. ♪ who's that lady?

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deep breaths before you read this. deep breaths. >> you know how we have our favorite story of the day? this is my least favorite story of the day. flying can be frustrating, but there is absolutely 100% no excuse for what police say a man did aboard a flight from minneapolis to atlanta. >> he's accused of smacking a crying toddler in the face to try to get the little guy to be quiet. air rage is something that's actually on the rise. >> reporter: when jessica bennett and her 19-month-old adopted son jonah boarded a flight from minneapolis to atlanta, just days ago, she never expected to tell this violent story. >> he had came at him like that, so it was, you know, came down that way at jonah's eye right here. >> reporter: jessica and fbi investigators say another passenger, 60-year-old joe hundley, assaulted her little boy on that flight when jonah started to cry.

he reportedly told mom, shut that n word baby up. >> i said, what did you just say? he was so drunk that he fell onto my face and his mouth moved over to my ear. >> reporter: then she says hundley slapped the child. >> when i had looked at jonah's face, his eye was swollen here and bleeding. >> reporter: authorities say cases of air rage are up about 30%. earlier this year, a passenger was so drunk and unruly, he was bound with duct tape by fellow passengers. and those memorable outbursts from flight attendants seemingly fed up, but air rage incidents involving children almost unheard of. jonah's dad has a message. >> i hope he's embarrassed. you know, i hope he feels ashamed. >> reporter: the fbi telling us hundley is expected to turn himself in to face that assault charge. his attorney says we shouldn't rush to judgment just yet. he plans to plead not guilty.

geo-benitez, abc news, new york. >> he has been suspended from his job because of that company's personal conduct policy. just in case you're wondering about that. >> they are better people than i am. i would have beat him so hard and for so long, they would have had to tear me off of him. i can't -- >> that's the queen coming out. momma don't take that mess. i get it. >> you see right here? >> boom. >> in his eyeball, so hard! >> i get it. >> you don't mess with your baby. >> with anybody's baby. >> for the record, people forget this, the n word means an ignorant person, not a black person. so as far as i'm concerned, the only n word on that plane was the dude himself. we'll leave it at that. coming up, beyonce's big debut, and this is not one of her music videos. >> and tim tebow could be making a very controversial move. it's all coming up next in "the

skinny." >> and tim tebow could be making a very controversial move.

♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> there it is, willis. waking us up on a monday morning. rihanna and chris brown back in the news. all these rumors they were back

together, they've been spotted all over the place. even a rumor that she had a ring on at the grammys. they were at the same nightclub on thursday night, which was valentine's day. however, they did not come together and did not want to be seated next to each other. she told her staff to sit her as far away from him as possible. they said she looked startled and upset when he arrived at the club after she did. so now maybe some speculation either they have broken up or had a big fight or something is -- shockingly, all is not peaceful and well with chris brown. so just the latest from that relationship. we all know that beyonce is famous or infamous for being extremely private. she got married, nobody knew about it. pictures barely came out. now she has a documentary coming out. it aired friday, i apologize. it's called "life is but a dream." apparently in this hbo series,

for those that haven't seen it, we finally get to see blue ivy in all of her glory and beauty. she is the most adorable baby. she is the most adorable baby. i have to say there are pictures on the internet out there of her, but they're grainy and she's covered. you can't see much of her. but looking at her in these pictures, she is the most precious little girl i've never seen. any way, very interesting here, there's no couture gowns, there's no huge production. this is just beyonce being a mom with her baby giving her a bottle, cuddling with her, doing the momma thing. she says this was about connecting all the dots. family members, it's just a really good moment and i'm so glad we're getting to see this cute little baby. >> i tivoed it for wednesday morning. she's a simple girl from houston despite her stardom. tim tebow back in the news. we all know he's a very religious guy and speaks to

churches frequently. this latest booking is not sitting too well. he's going to speak at the first baptist church, but the pastor there, robert jeffris, is well known to be anti-gay and anti-semantic. so now people are wondering tim, why would you speak at a church like this with a pastor like that guy. and could this be a pr disaster in the making for tebow? it's not clear what his message will be to the 11,000 members of that church. they have not released that just yet. already some early controversy, because this pastor has said some highly controversial things in the past. apparently tebow will be there. >> tebow does a lot of speaking at different churches. this one, though, interesting choice. >> he may want to rethink that one. hugh grant welcomes a son. you may remember hugh grant in 2011 had a baby girl with a woman named ting lang hong. >> oh, ting. >> poor little ting ting. any way, she -- they said this

is because of a fleeting affair, but now they're having a second child together. so i wonder how fleeting it was? any way, congratulations to him. he just wanted to say he was the one that will introduce the little girl to the world -- or little boy to the world, not the journalists. little boy to the world, not journalists. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you.

then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

♪ let's face it here, the annual "sports illustrated" swimsuit edition is published to bring a little pleasure into reader's lives. >> just a little bit. this year it's sparking controversy. some people are calling the photos insensitive. but not because of the scantily clad ladies. it's what is in the background sparking the fuss. >> reporter: with a white hot cover shot of model kate upton, this year's "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue made a big splash with buzz about photo shoots on

all seven continents. but this year, beautiful models are sharing airtime with controversy brewing over some photos and video "si" posted online that did not make it into the magazine. particularly these taken in africa and this shot from china. some are calling them, at best, culturally insensitive. >> for me the african picture was the most offensive because it played on some of the most old and stereotypical images. it showed the african as primitive. almost uncivilized. >> reporter: on the website "jezebel," the editor is also critical of the photos, writing, using people of color as background or extras is a popular fashion trope. although it's prevalent, it's very distasteful. people are not props. one of the models talks about her shoot on the website. >> it was such a cool

experience. something completely different than anything i've ever seen or someone i've met in my life. >> reporter: some people we spoke with didn't see a problem with the photos. >> as a traveler myself, i love seeing these places and seeing other cultures. so i think it's great they're showing this in magazines. >> reporter: proving once again that controversy, just like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. toppia rivero, abc news, new york. >> some things are important, some things are not. come on, now. the swimsuit -- oh, yeah. >> in your element. >> that was the greatest assignment i ever had. >> this is all i have to say about it, and take it for what it's worth. i feel like a lot of these places sometimes aren't going to -- you'll never see these places and in a lot of ways it's a service to them, in a lot of ways, to be on any kind -- >> it's promotional. >> any kind of spotlight. and it's a cool spotlight. they went to all seven continents. i think it's pretty interesting.

>> i think the world has bigger problems than whatever. >> that's for sure. problems than whatever. >> that's for sure. >> i'll call kate upton. this is tour de cure and it's more than jusa bike ride. it's where every turn of the pepedal helps stopiabetes. where cyclists of all levels come together to make a difference. to raise money and d to raise hope. it's the ride of your life. it's tour de cure. register today at diabetes.org/tour that's diabetes.g/tour